National Passion vs National Sport: India & Pakistan Reignite Rivalry in London

Virat Kohli's dazzling drives will face stiff competition from Harmanpreet Singh's powerful dragflicks on a rarest of rare occasion when national teams are pitted against Pakistan in cricket and hockey on the same day in a third country.

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London: Virat Kohli's dazzling drives will face stiff competition from Harmanpreet Singh's powerful dragflicks on a rarest of rare occasion when national teams are pitted against Pakistan in cricket and hockey on the same day in a third country.

Within 55 miles of each other, Indian cricket team will meet their arch rivals at the Oval in London while hockey team will lock horns with Pakistan at the suburb Milton Keynes.

It's a rarity when national passion and national sport will be jostling for attention from sporting aficionados within a gap of three and half hours.

Whether it is seven hours of cricket with its ebbs and flows or the 60 minute of adrenaline pumping stick-work, the contests will not be devoid of excitement.

The 'desis' as British Indians are referred in this part of the world will be in attendance along with their Pakistani counterparts in what can be termed as a sporting carnival on a Super Sunday.

Gone are those days when a victory against a Pakistan cricket side comprising Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akramand Salim Malik used to evoke a tremendous sense of satisfaction.

Similarly, beating a Pakistan hockey side that had Shahbaz Ahmed, Tahir Zaman or later Sohail Abbas or Rehan Butt would feel special.

An average Indian fan knew the names of those iconic Pakistani cricketers or hockey players. But today, if Azhar Ali or Hasan Ali walks down the street, one can bet his last shirt that seven out of 10 Indian fans will need a third or fourth glance to recognise.

The names in Pakistan sides don't intimidate the Indian teams or it's fans anymore. They can scare India occasionally and that can be tomorrow. But that's about it.

But it's a contest that no one wants to lose. Or rather one can ill-afford to lose.